Deborah Bloomfield

Researchers working on a near-universal coronavirus vaccine that could stop outbreaks before they get started have reported success in mice. The vaccine confers immunity against the original SARS virus, despite it not being one of the viruses used to build it. Advertisement There’s little doubt that plenty of viruses currently circulating in animals will one […]

Certain symbols appear on temple walls at various locations in the ancient city of Dūr-Šarrukīn, where Khorsabad, Iraq, is today. At the time of their creation, the city was ruled by Sargon II, who ruled over the Assyrian kingdom from 721 to 705 BCE. The king was already middle-aged by the time he took the […]

Sometimes, things just don’t mix on their own, and that’s where emulsifiers lend a helping hand – particularly when it comes to food. However, recent chatter about ultra-processed foods and the additives involved has caused some to question whether emulsifiers might actually be harmful to our health. So what does science say? What are emulsifiers? […]

This week, the best preserved Neanderthal skeleton in over 25 years was discovered in a “funeral cave”, alpaca sex is so strange it’s never been seen in any other mammal, and we now know why a giant hole appeared in Antarctic sea ice eight years ago. Finally, we explore what Earth would be like if […]

The European Space Agency’s Solar Orbiter has observed the incredible behavior in the Sun’s lower atmosphere like never before. The Sun’s corona is an ever-changing landscape with a range of fascinating features, from “moss” to “rain”. The new footage is providing a front seat to the currently active Sun. Advertisement In previous videos of the […]

Diet fads come and go, but some stick around longer than others. One example is the so-called “Paleo diet” which, as the name suggests, tries to emulate the high protein and low carb diets prehistoric hunter-gatherers were assumed to have. However, new research suggests that at least some Palaeolithic humans subsisted on mostly plant-based diets […]

Providing stimulation for your pet can be one of the most engaging things you can do as an animal owner, whether it be exercise, puzzle games, or toys to entertain your furry friend. Parrots have been found to enjoy video calling other parrots as a way to beat loneliness, but now further research has found […]

On Monday, NASA astronauts Barry Wilmore and Sunita Williams will launch aboard Boeing Starliner – the partially reusable commercial vehicle that will bring people from the United States to the International Space Station (ISS) and other locations in low-Earth orbit, such as future private space stations. Advertisement The Monday test is the third and final […]

This is a very important public service announcement: flour can explode. Yes, we are talking about that stuff you keep in the room where you’re most likely to find fire. Thankfully, you probably don’t need to panic about your kitchen going up in flames, but it still pays to know about the dangers of dust […]

Oh, so you’ve been trekking in the Himalayas, hiked the Inca Trail, and completed the Camino de Santiago. Big whoop. Why don’t you put your bipedal status to proper use and go for a real walk? You could even give what is claimed to be the world’s longest stroll a try. Setting off from L’Agulhas […]

The ozone hole over Antarctica grows and closes up again each year – having a hole at all isn’t ideal, but scientists know roughly when to expect it. However, its appearance is now persisting later and later into the year, which according to a new study, could present a danger to the wildlife on the […]

On May 3, China launched Chang’e 6, its latest mission to the Moon. Similar to its predecessor, it is a sample retrieval mission, expected to collect up to 2 kilograms (4.4 pounds) of lunar material from the far side of the Moon, the portion that is always facing away from Earth. The whole mission is […]

An international team of archaeologists have unearthed the long-lost upper half of a statue of the Egyptian pharaoh Ramesses II. The discovery comes nearly 100 years since the statue’s lower half was first identified. Advertisement In 1930, Günther Roeder, a German archaeologist, unearthed the lower part of a statue that depicted Ramesses II, otherwise known […]

When the age of dinosaurs came crashing to a close with the arrival of Chicxulub, the vacant niches left in their wake were free real estate for mammals who wriggled their way to the top. In that time, we’ve seen incredible species evolve, like the largest mammal ever  – Paraceratherium – but who claims the […]

Viagra – or if we’re going to be fancy scientific about it, sildenafil – is perhaps one of the best-known drugs in the world. Plenty will know what it treats, but what about how it works? From angina to erectile dysfunction The first clues appeared when Viagra was initially in clinical trials as a treatment […]

Red squirrels – yes, the cute ones with furry ears from children’s books – have become the first identified animal host of one of the oldest diseases in recorded history. It seems these unassuming critters were responsible for spreading leprosy to people in medieval England. Advertisement The red squirrel (Sciurus vulgaris) is now a rare […]

Thought tsunamis only happened in the ocean? Think again. Turns out lake tsunamis are a thing too, and they can be just as devastating – here’s everything you need to know about them. Advertisement What is a lake tsunami? As you may well have guessed, a lake tsunami is a tsunami that occurs in a […]

Taking turns to communicate isn’t just a thing that humans do in polite conversation – plenty of other animals also avoid overlapping each other. But not every animal “talks” – so how do those that still appear to take turns know when to do so? A new study examining the aggressive back and forth of […]

For most of us here in the 21st century, our memories of learning the times tables have become something of a running joke. “You won’t have a calculator in your pocket every day as an adult,” we were warned – well, shows what you know, Mrs Hickinbottom; these days, virtually 100 percent of us have […]

Check out the latest futuristic offering from the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, otherwise known as DARPA. From the people who brought you hypersonic air-breathing weapons, submarine-detecting shrimp, and robot jazz musicians comes a massive manta ray-inspired uncrewed submarine. Constructed by Northrop Grumman, the prototype just completed its first in-water test. Advertisement The sub has […]